Patient's question:
Female, 39 years old. Recently, she has found that her private area is always itchy and feels hot, as if it were being burned. Is this a sign of inflammation? Please ask: Is it necessary to avoid certain foods when diagnosed with candidal vulvovaginitis?Doctor's answer:
Avoid spicy, fried, and hot foods. Spicy and fried foods such as chili peppers, pepper, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, onions, fried dough sticks, roasted lamb, electric grilled chicken, fried quail, fried pork chops, and fried chicken wings; hot foods such as beef, mutton, and dog meat, as well as various preserved and cured foods like roasted sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, and roasted lettuce, should all be avoided as they may exacerbate abdominal heat, severe vaginal inflammation, and bleeding. Therefore, they should not be consumed. Avoid seafood that triggers inflammation. Seafood such as shrimp, river shrimp, yellow croaker, crabs, mud crabs, eels, clams, surf clams, silver clams, oysters, and abalone often fall into the category of inflammatory foods. Consuming them may lead to severe itching in the genital area and hinder the resolution of inflammation, so they should be avoided. In daily life, it is important for patients with candidal vaginitis to prevent cross-infection in public places, including public baths, swimming pools, hotels, and public restrooms.